Conveyer



A. E. MAY

Aug. 18, 1942.

CONVEYER Filed July 17, 1940 INVENTOR (AAA-QM BY Q Q ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1942 CONVEYER Arthur E. May, Belleville, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Redler Conveyor Company, Quincy, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 17, 1940, Serial No. 345,994

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a conveyer for conveying flowable solid material.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved construction of a conveyer of the character specified in which provision is made for handling loose fluffy materials such as soap flakes or corn flakes in a manner such as to overcome difficulties formerly encountered when running materials of this nature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a .novel and improved conveyer of the character specified in which the casing is constructed in a manner such that during conveyance of the material the latter is compressed within the casing to form a more or less compact mass whereby a uniform volume of material may be delivered by the conveyer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved conveyer of the character specified, in which provision is made for increasing the sectional dimensions of the casing near the inlet thereto and for gradually and progressively decreasing the effective internal sectional area of the casing so that loose flaky materials which are introduced into the conveyer through the inlet will be compressed during the first part of the conveyance thereof to form a substantially compact and relatively dense stream of material.

With these general objects in view, and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the conveyer and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is a side elevation with portions broken away and in cross-section, illustrating a conveyer for elevating material and which embodies the present invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view in cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views in cross-section taken on the lines 3--3 and 44 respectively.

In general, the present invention, in its preferred form, contemplates an improvement in a conveyer of the type illustrated in the Redler Reissue Patent No. 18,445, April 26, 1932, which is adapted to convey flowable solid materials in a continuous stream. Experience with such conveyers has demonstrated that when a conveyer casing of uniform cross-section throughout its .entire run is employed in a conveyer for running :loose fluffy materials, such as soap flakes, considerable difiiculty was experienced in attempting to feed a compact and uniform stream. The characteristics of the material are such that in its loosely flowing or unconfined condition, the air between the individual particles causes the mass of material to expand and occupy a greater space than when it is pressed together, or the elasticity of the material may contribute to cause it to act in this manner. In practice, when such material was run in such prior conveyers, the material, after having been fed into the casing through the inlet would become settled during the first part of its conveyance, so that the flights were soon incompletely filled and the operation became irregular, and in addition, the capacity of a conveyer of a given size was reduced.

In accordance with the present invention, pro vision is made for increasing the internal area of the casing adjacent the inlet and for gradually and progressively decreasing the effective cross-section area of the casing in the direction of travel of the conveying element from the inlet to a point where the casing assumes a normal and uniform cross-section in order to cause the material to be compressed within the casing during the conveyance thereof whereby to render it sufliciently compact so as to enable the material to be delivered in a continuous stream of substantially uniform density from the discharge outlet.

Referring now to the drawing, in which I have illustrated a conveyer for elevating material, I0 represents a conveyer casing of the loop boot type having a looped portion I2 provided with an inlet 14 and an upright or vertical portion l6 having a discharge outlet 3. The flowable solid material introduced into the casing through the inlet I 4 is conveyed through the casing by the cooperation therewith of an endless conveying element 20 of open construction herein shown as comprising a plurality of pivotally connected and spaced flight members 22 of general U-shape. The endless conveying element 28 is arranged to be drawn through the casing by a head sprocket 24 disposed in the upper portion 25 of the conveyer and over which the conveying element is arranged to pass. The head sprocket may be driven in any usual or preferred manner, not shown, and after passing over the head sprocket 24, the conveying element is guided through the return run 26 of the casing and into the looped portion I2 where it again engages the material to be conveyed. During normal operation and for successful operation, a given size of flight is recommended for a given size of conveyer casing.

In accordance with the present invention, the casing is provided with an enlarged portion 28 adjacent the inlet Hi to permit a relatively large volume of material in its loose condition to enter the casing. From the inlet, the cross-sectional area of the casing is gradually and progressively reduced in the direction of travel of the conveying element until it reaches a point intermediate the inlet and the outlet where the casing assumes its normal cross-section area, that is, of a size such as to be substantially filled by the flights 22 of the conveying element with the usual clearances, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The casing is substantially uniform in cross-section from the intermediate point for the remainder of the working run to the discharge outlet l8. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the return run 26 of the casing is of a uniform size until it reaches the looped portion l2 where it gradually increases in size until it reaches the inlet M at which point the casing assumes its maximum internal area. Although the invention is illustrated as embodied in a conveyer for elevating materials, it will be apparent that it may be embodied in a conveyer extending in a horizontal path, or

in an inclined direction.

From the description thus far it will be observed that when loose flaky materials, such as soap flakes, or other fluffy materials which occupy a relatively greater space when in its unconfined condition, are delivered to the inlet I 3, such material will be carried along by the conveying element and will be gradually compressed within the casing so that when the material reaches that portion 30 of the casing which is uniform in size, the material will be carried along in a compact and continuous stream of substantially uniform density. As a result, the material being discharged from the discharge outlet will be caused to flow in a continuous stream of substantially uniform density. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the internal width of the casing remains the same throughout the entire run while the height or thickness of the casing with relation to the flight members is gradually reduced from the inlet to a point of uniformity as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. It will be apparent that the same result might be obtained by varying the cross-sectional dimensions of the casing in either or both directions so long as. the internal area is progressively decreased between the inlet and the outlet. It will likewise be apparent that the length of the progressively reduced portion of the casing may be varied in accordance with the requirements for the particular material being run.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

'1. A conveyer for conveying loose fluffy materials comprising, a casing'having an inlet and an outlet, and an endless conveying element adapted to be drawn through the casing to effect the conveyance of the material therethrough, the portion of said casing starting at that edge of said inlet nearer the outlet decreasing in area in the direction of travel of said conveying element between said inlet and said outlet, whereby substantial compacting of the loose fiuffy materials is effected to form a relatively dense stream of material during its conveyance from said inlet toward said outlet.

2. A conveyer for conveying loose fluffy materials comprising, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, and an endless conveying element adapted to be drawn through the casing and provided with a plurality of spaced flight members of open construction to effect the conveyance of the material therethrough, the portion of said casing starting at that edge of said inlet nearer the outlet decreasing in area in the direction of travel of said conveying element between said inlet and said outlet, whereby substantial compacting of the loose fluffy materials is effected to form a relatively dense stream of material during its conveyance from said inlet toward said outlet.

3. A conveyer for conveying loose flufiy materials comprising, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, and an endless conveying element comprising a plurality of spaced flight members of open construction traversable through the casing, said casing having a section of substantially uniform sectional dimensions between said outlet and said inlet and an enlarged section between the forward edge of said inlet and said uniform section, said enlarged section having its effective internal area gradually and progressively reduced in the direction of travel of said conveying element from said inlet to said uniform section of the casing, whereby substantial compacting of the loose fluffy materials is effected to form a relatively dense stream of material during its conveyance from said inlet toward said inlet.

4. A conveyer for conveying loose fluffy materials comprising, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, and an endless conveying element traversable through the casing, said casing having a section of substantially uniform internal area between said outlet and said inlet and an enlarged section between the forward edge of said inlet and said uniform section, said enlarged section having its effective internal area gradually and progressively reduced in the direction of travel of said conveying element from said inlet to said uniform section of the casing, whereby substantial compacting of the loose fiuffy materials is effected to form a relatively dense stream of material during its conveyance from said inlet toward said outlet.

5. A conveyer for elevating loose, fluffy materials comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, an endless conveying element comprising a plurality of spaced flight members of open construction traversable through the casing, said casing having an upright portion of substantially uniform internal area, and a looped portion adjacent said inlet, the internal area of said looped portion being enlarged at the forward edge of said inlet and being gradually and progressively decreased in effective internal area between said inlet and said substantially uniform portion, whereby substantial compacting of the loose fiufiy materials is effected to form a relatively dense stream Of material during its conveyance from said inlet toward said outlet.

6. A conveyer for conveying loose fiuffy materials comprising, a casing having an inlet and an outlet, an endless conveying element adapted tobe drawn through the casing and provided with a plurality of spaced night members of open construction, said casing being enlarged in area with respect to the size of said conveying element starting with the forward edge of said inlet and having its internal area gradually decreased in the direction of travel of said conveying element between the forward edge of said inlet and a point intermediate the inlet and said outlet, said casing being of substantially uniform cross-section and of a size to be substantially filled by said conveying element from said intermediate point to said discharge outlet, whereby substantial compacting of the loose fluify materials is effected to form a relatively dense stream of material during its conveyance from said inlet toward said outlet.

'7. A conveyer for conveying fiowable solid materials of an expansible nature such as to occupy a relatively greater space when in its loose condition than when compacted, comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, an endless conveying element of open construction traversable through the casing, said casing being of substantially uniform internal cross-section throughout the major portion of its working run, and having an enlarged portion commencing with the forward edge of said inlet, said enlarged portion having its internal area gradually and progressively decreasing in size from the forward edge of said inlet to a point sufiiciently remote from the inlet to efiect substantial compacting of the material being run whereby to form a relatively dense stream of material in said casing at said uniform portion.

ARTHUR E. MAY. 

